Chickpeas in Coconut Milk

One of the first recipes I tried with this book, I'd wanted to find something Indian-ish yet simple that would stretch out to serve for a group of friends. Tanzania, the island of Zanzabar in particular, with its plenitude of coconuts, provided the answer. One of the things that keeps me coming back to this recipe is that, though I hope to eventually be a full-fledged proponent of fresh-is-best, there is something a bit amazing about opening five or so cans of food, stewing it with spices, throwing a bit of rice in the rice cooker, and then listening to friends rave. Also, when I decide that I need to look for a recipe by ingredient as opposed to country-by-origin, I find my eyes often roaming to the chickpeas. Along with coconut milk for my Thai food fetish, they're one of the inexpensive things I stock up on when making a trip to the international food grocery.

Samosas (Zamboozies)

This was an exciting recipe for a number of reasons. First, it was more involved (I've never deep-fried anything), second I was aiming to make something comparable to the dollar-per samosas that my friends brought back every week from their weekly Indian Tuesday excursions. Lastly, the particular recipe I used was vegetarian and thereby very inexpensive. It was also fun to learn that, though samosas originated in India, they are common across East Africa. The recipe I used was actually Kenyan.

First off was the cooking up of those lovely little mung beans. Then concocting the spicy-wonderful filling. I struggled for awhile with many small triangles of sticky dough (I'll probably just substitute egg roll wrappers next time), and threw in some raisins at the end for good measure. The frying, I must admit, was the most fun. All that hard work paid off in 3 minutes of quick sizzling and goldenness. That and it was rather delightful wearing a little apron in the kitchen. Misshapen though some of them were, I ended up with close to thirty, and they succeeded in the comparison. I even contemplated quitting one of my day jobs and just strolling a samosa cart through already quirky Fountain Square.

Banana Bread and Spicy Tea Bread

Jamaica and Ethiopia inspire this post. I'm deliberately leaving out the recipes because I want to encourage the purchase of the cookbook from which they came. So, basically, these posts will consist of nothing more than elated commentary and hopefully a few pictures. I'm typically a more outwardly subdued, observer type personality, but there are three things which excite me to the point of outright verbal exclamation: the sky when it is doing something particularly spectacular, babies, and good food.

Four overripe bananas inspired the Jamaican Banana bread baking I did today. I unabashedly threw in that whole stick of butter and happily chopped up some trail mix for the fruit and nuts addition. The finished loaf coming out of the oven rose so beautifully and the aroma was so stunning as if it were exclaiming "I'm mouthwateringly yummy! Devour me!"

The second bread I actually made awhile back, but I don't know if I'll try it again. It definitely deserves a commentary all its own, and this photo is actually pretty accurate. Picture a two inch thick disc as large as an over-sized frisbee and with a strange white-pepper and coriander tang which made every bite seem unexpected. It was fun to bake and interesting to figure out how to cut. Tearing might have worked better, though it was pretty crumb-y. Then there was storage. Which is the only reason I probably won't make this bread again. Humidity and fruit flies and not enough mouths to eat it eventually did it in. But the spiciness adds an interesting twist, especially if contrasted with a sweeter as apposed to plainer tea.

The Bug

If you're a traveller you know how hard it can be to satiate that bug when you're home. Food is one of the easiest ways to relive the memories as well as share them with others, without booking a plane ticket. This blog is for the express purpose of piecing together my thoughts as I journey through a favorite cookbook: Extending the Table, a World Community Cookbook. I've never encountered a food book that took me to more places than this one. Chock full of stories from experiences in the countries each recipe was gleaned, cultural mealtime traditions, anecdotes, proverbs and prayers, I am reminded of the brotherhood of humanity in the gathering of hearts and hands around the fruit of the earth, around the table.

I first encountered this cookbook from a former housemate, Lisa. My first recipes with it were Chickpeas in Coconut Milk, from Tanzania, and traditional Nepali chai to serve at a gathering of friends. I was thrilled with the prospect of having at my disposal tasty, inexpensive recipes which I could actually look up according to country. Just thinking about thumbing through that index makes my mouth water over India and reminisce over Thailand. But more than anything, I long to reach out and participate in some small way in the daily lives of my sisters in Ethiopia and my brothers in Columbia, read their stories, picture myself sitting alongside the woman in her hut as I roll out the dough for a meal. Learn the true meaning of hospitality and thanksgiving from those who live in nations which are decidedly less glutted than my own. In this way the table is extended. For those who happen to be reading, may you get a taste of a bit of this sure to be joyful journey.